Richard W. Lozier Jr.

Richard W. Lozier Jr. (born January 2, 1944) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is an American infrastructure and regulation lawyer. He worked for a lobby group representing Energy Transfer Partners interests in the application for the controversial Bakken pipeline. He became a commissioner of the Iowa Utilities Board in 2017 and served until April 2023.

Early life and education

Richard W. Lozier Jr was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Iowa graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966 and a Juris Doctor in 1969. He attended Exeter University, Exeter, England and was a Phi Delta Phi Secretary from 1968 until 1969.

Career

From 1969 until 1971 Lozier worked as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since 1969, he has worked at Belin Lamson McCormick Zumbach Flynn, law firm, Iowa.

From 1986 to 1987 he was Polk County President, from 1976 to 1985 member of the Standards Committee, from 1987 to 1991 member of the Board of Governors, Iowa State and the American Bar Associations.

He represented the Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now (MAIN Coalition), a lobby group in the Dakota Access application for the Bakken pipeline.

In 2017, then governor Terry Branstad appointed him as a member of the Iowa Utilities Board. He was subsequently asked to recuse himself for the evident conflict of interest. In June 2017, Lozier recused himself, leaving only two committee members to vote on matters. Lozier´s IUB term expired in May 2023; it is unclear, why. As he was appointed by former governor Branstad, who has been working for the Summit Agricultural Group, which is seeking a permit for carbon capture pipeline to North Dakota he had a perceived conflict of interest, but he "at least had an open mind about this case", as critics have noted.